crimp

crimp
    n 1: an angular or rounded shape made by folding; "a fold in the
         napkin"; "a crease in his trousers"; "a plication on her
         blouse"; "a flexure of the colon"; "a bend of his elbow"
         [syn: {fold}, {crease}, {plication}, {flexure}, {crimp},
         {bend}]
    2: someone who tricks or coerces men into service as sailors or
       soldiers [syn: {crimp}, {crimper}]
    3: a lock of hair that has been artificially waved or curled
    v 1: make ridges into by pinching together [syn: {crimp},
         {pinch}]
    2: curl tightly; "crimp hair" [syn: {crimp}, {crape}, {frizzle},
       {frizz}, {kink up}, {kink}]
    

Crimp \Crimp\, a.
   1. Easily crumbled; friable; brittle. [R.]
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            Now the fowler . . . treads the crimp earth. --J.
                                                  Philips.
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   2. Weak; inconsistent; contradictory. [R.]
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            The evidence is crimp; the witnesses swear backward
            and forward, and contradict themselves. --Arbuthnot.
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Crimp \Crimp\ (kr[i^]mp), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Crimped}
   (kr[i^]mt; 215); p. pr. & vb. n. {Crimping}.] [Akin to D.
   krimpen to shrink, shrivel, Sw. krympa, Dan. krympe, and to
   E. cramp. See {Cramp}.]
   1. To fold or plait in regular undulation in such a way that
      the material will retain the shape intended; to give a
      wavy appearance to; as, to crimp the border of a cap; to
      crimp a ruffle. Cf. {Crisp}.
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            The comely hostess in a crimped cap.  --W. Irving.
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   2. To pinch and hold; to seize.
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   3. Hence, to entrap into the military or naval service; as,
      to crimp seamen.
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            Coaxing and courting with intent to crimp him.
                                                  --Carlyle.
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   4. (Cookery) To cause to contract, or to render more crisp,
      as the flesh of a fish, by gashing it, when living, with a
      knife; as, to crimp skate, etc.
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   5. (Firearms) In cartridge making, to fold the edge of (a
      cartridge case) inward so as to close the mouth partly and
      confine the charge.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   {Crimping house}, a low lodging house, into which men are
      decoyed and plied with drink, to induce them to ship or
      enlist as sailors or soldiers.

   {Crimping iron}.
      (a) An iron instrument for crimping and curling the hair.
      (b) A crimping machine.

   {Crimping machine}, a machine with fluted rollers or with
      dies, for crimping ruffles, leather, iron, etc.

   {Crimping pin}, an instrument for crimping or puckering the
      border of a lady's cap.
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Crimp \Crimp\, n.
   1. A coal broker. [Prov. Eng.] --De Foe.
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   2. One who decoys or entraps men into the military or naval
      service. -- Marryat.
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   3. A keeper of a low lodging house where sailors and
      emigrants are entrapped and fleeced.
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   4. Hair which has been crimped; -- usually in pl.
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   5. A game at cards. [Obs.] --B. Jonson.
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   {Boot crimp}. See under {Boot}.
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201 Moby Thesaurus words for "crimp":
      Vandyke, abduce, abduct, abductor, aqueduct, bar, bit, blaze,
      bollix, bridle, bunco artist, bunco steerer, canal, canalization,
      canalize, cardsharp, cardsharper, carpetbagger, carry away,
      carry off, carve, chamfer, channel, check, chisel, chop, cocker,
      cockle, coil, con artist, con man, confidence man, constrain,
      corrugate, corrugation, crab, crack, cramp, crankle, crease,
      creasing, crenellate, crenulate, crimper, crimple, crinkle, crisp,
      crumbly, crumple, curl, cut, dado, dike, ditch, dog-ear, double,
      double over, doubling, duplicature, enfold, engrave, entrenchment,
      flection, flexure, flounce, flute, fold, fold over, fosse, foul up,
      friable, frill, frizz, frizzle, furrow, gash, gather, goffer,
      gouge, groove, gully, gum, gum up, gutter, ha-ha, hamper,
      hold back, hold down, hold for ransom, hold in, horse coper,
      horse trader, hurdle, impediment, impress, incise, indent, infold,
      inhibit, interfold, jackleg, jag, kennel, kidnap, kidnapper, kink,
      knit, knot, knurl, land pirate, land shark, land-grabber, lap over,
      lapel, lappet, lock, louse up, machicolate, mill, moat,
      mortgage shark, mountain, nick, notch, obstruction, pettifogger,
      picot, pink, pitchman, plait, plat, pleat, plica, plicate,
      plication, plicature, plow, ply, ponytail, pucker, pulverizable,
      pulverulent, purse, queer, quill, rabbet, ridge, rifle, rimple,
      ringlet, ripple, rivel, rub, ruche, ruching, ruck, ruckle, ruff,
      ruffle, rumple, run away with, rut, scallop, scarify, score,
      scotch, scratch, screw, scrunch, serrate, shanghai, shanghaier,
      shark, sharp, sharper, sharpie, shirr, shortchanger, shyster,
      skyjack, slash, slicker, slit, snafu, snag, snatch, spieler,
      spirit away, streak, striate, sunk fence, tooth, trench,
      triturable, trough, tuck, turn over, twill, wimple, withhold,
      wrinkle